If you were to go by today's indo we potentially have only one month before the IMF are running the show. Can someone explain how this would be a bad thing?
It probably removes some of the politics from the decision making so in that sense might be good, but as a soverign country we should be making the decisions that affect us.
Would you give me your weekly shopping budget and allow me to go to tescos and decide for you what was "best"?
Rats & sinking ships comes to mind!!
It probably removes some of the politics from the decision making so in that sense might be good, but as a soverign country we should be making the decisions that affect us.
Would you give me your weekly shopping budget and allow me to go to tescos and decide for you what was "best"?
But the "sovereign" country is under the control of career politicians who do not have the public interest at heart but their own interests and those of their most influencial lobbyists.
If you were to go by today's indo we potentially have only one month before the IMF are running the show. Can someone explain how this would be a bad thing?
Yes indeed we put them there, but given the amount of things that they have control over, and take control over, I think it is very wrong to say that I am over-estimating their power. Just look at the risk they have taken by bailing out banks, do you think the public voted for this by voting for their preferred candidates? Or do you think that labour voters in the UK voted for Blair to go to war in Iraq? Or SPD voters in Germany voted for Schroeder to underwrite a gas pipeline to Russia in order to get a job on the board of Gazprom?Leaving the whole medical side of things out of it, I do not believe that Brian Lenihan's actions are motivated by his political career aspirations.
There are plenty of useless politicians in the Dail and who puts them there..... I think that we under estimate our responsibility for who is in power and over estimate the power that they have. Many decisions are 'guided' by senior civil servants who are pulling the strings.
What this country most desparately needs is to balance the books, and the IMF would do so in the shortest possible time frame. There would be no quibbling over should we extend the time frame, or not front load the whole thing, etc. They would simply make the cuts regardless of the impact on an election.The assumption that the decisions made by the IMF would not be politically influenced is crazy. I don't know whether it is the view that the grass is always greener on the other side that makes us believe that the actions of the IMF would be better.
The IMF would not be motivated by providing jobs to other European countries. It is motivated by providing emergency funding and balancing the books.I don't think that the IMF would remove our overseas aid budget, they would add another percent to corporation tax instead. Everyone is a winner - more jobs for other European countries as we lose our tax advantage and they do not have to pick up the aid shortfall.
Iceland.Can someone explain to me why it would be a good thing (preferably citing some examples of where they improved things rather than the tired old line of "well they can't be any worse than our politicians")? The thoughts of the IMF coming in here scares the hell out of me, so I'm hoping someone can show me where they have actually improved things in a country!
I would actually say you bring them in to improve things that you are incapable or unwilling to improve yourself.You don't bring them in to improve things. You bring them in as a last resort.
........ Just look at the risk they have taken by bailing out banks, do you think the public voted for this by voting for their preferred candidates?
5 years is a long time so to think that we elect TDs with the knowledge of the issues that they will face and the decisions that they will make over the term of office is unrealistic. You elect them based on very broad brush strokes of policies. It is a lot like marraige, you take them for better/worse, richer/ poorer, in sickness and in IMF.